Sometime in the near future, Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton says, he'd like to have more flexibility in assigning deputies to protect the region.

Clayton talked about a plan pitched by county Commissioner Conan Smith at the county board's retreat Saturday. The county board met at Rolling Hills County Park.

An Ann Arbor Democrat, Smith said the idea is to allocate resources on a "need basis," instead of the current jurisdictional boundaries.

News file photoClayton

Currently,13 townships and villages contract for police services with the county. County government charges each municipality a pre-determined rate for each deputy a given community wants.

The new model would change that.

Under the proposed change, Clayton would be given a lump sum - perhaps similar to the $19 million the county allocated in 2009 for police services - to use at his discretion.

The sheriff said that would allow him to deploy his 106 front-line employees in areas that he determines are appropriate, regardless of geographical boundaries. It would be more of a regional approach, he said.

The sheriff has 80 deputies who now serve townships and villages under the terms of contracts. There are also 12 at-large deputies who can be used anywhere in the county. The department also has 14 detectives.

Clayton said the more regional approach would allow him to lay down a minimum level of staffing for each area.